1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a swing-type portable terminal in which one housing covering a second housing swings to a position at which the one housing resides faces and is in parallel with the second housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable terminals represent an electronic device that provides typically a wireless communication function among users or between a user and a service provider. The traditional mobile communication service provided through portable terminals was confined to voice call and short message transmission. However, the mobile communication service has expanded its service area to multimedia service such as on-line gaming and Video-on-Demand (VoD) and data services, such as transmission of video files and music files.
Portable terminals are classified into a bar type, a flip type, and a folder type according to their appearance. The bar-type portable terminal has an input device, such as a keypad, and a transmitter and an output device, such as a display, and a receiver in a single housing. The flip-type portable terminal is characterized in that input and output devices are mounted in a single housing and a flip cover is rotatably opened from and closed to the single housing to protect the input device. The folder-type portable terminal includes a pair of housings facing each other that approach or recede from each other by rotation. Since an input device and an output device are appropriately distributed to the housings, the folder-type portable terminal is easy to use and carry. In the folded state their size is further reduced with increases their portability.
In addition to the above-described types of portable terminals, a sliding type, a swing type, a rotary type, and a composite type have emerged to meet various demands of users. The sliding-type portable terminal is opened or closed by a linear movement of a pair of housings facing each other. The rotary-type portable terminal is configured so that the frontal and rear surfaces of a folder type terminal can be reversed in an open state. The composite-type portable terminal realizes a folder-type opening and closing operation and a swing-type opening and closing operation in combination.
Korea Patent Application No. 2002-43417 filed on Jul. 23, 2002 (U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/287,148, entitled “Mobile Terminal and Hinge Device Thereof,” filed on Nov. 4, 2002), and assigned to the assignee of the instant application, discloses a swing-type terminal in which a pair of housings facing each other are rotatably coupled and an associated hinge device. The hinge device for the swing-type portable terminal includes a first hinge base and a second hinge base with a hinge shaft that is extended through a hinge hole formed at the first hinge base. An engagement member such as an E-ring surrounds the outer circumferential surface of the hinge shaft.
A hinge device for the swing-type portable terminal includes a hinge base that is fixed in a housing and has an extended hinge shaft and another hinge base rotatably engaged with the hinge shaft. These hinge bases are maintained engaged by an engagement member like a snap ring or an E-ring.
Generally, a user carries a swing-type portable terminal with its housings overlapped. To uses it, the user opens the housings at 90° or 180° with respect to each other. However, in many cases it is inconvenient to rotate one housing with respect to the other housing to an intended position.